Chandigarh: Announcing rice scheme for Kharif 2012-13 season, the Punjab government on Thursday decided to bar defaulting rice millers from lifting paddy which have not milled 70 per cent of paddy allotted for 2011-12 season, an official spokesperson said in a release.

"Any rice mill which has not completed 70 per cent work of custom milling rice (CMR) of 2011-12 will not be eligible for lifting paddy during coming kharif marketing season 2012- 3.

"All such millers who have failed to deliver CMR less than 70 per cent of by 31-08-2012 should not be given any paddy for milling," the spokesperson said. However, in case of those millers who have deposited the money against balance rice stocks of the year KMS 2011-12, would be considered for allotment only after the government inquires about the justifications presented by defaulting millers for non-delivery of CMR, he said.

Paddy procurement in Punjab will start from October 1. Spokesman said paddy will be procured by all procuring agencies including Pungrain, Markfed, Punsup, Punjab State Warehousing Corporation, Punjab Agro Foodgrains Corporation and the Food Corporation of India.

The spokesman further said paddy procured by procuring agencies will be milled by rice millers of the State as per Punjab Rice Procurement (Levy) Order 1983.